A Brazilian cow with cancer cured by homeopathy?

This case report recounts the story of a cow in Brazil diagnosed with Mixed Apocrine Carcinoma. The authors from the Department of Research, Idis Lamasson Institute, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil reported that “the mass grew suddenly and then V.a homeopathic therapy by Injectcenter- Brazil was administered three times a week intramuscular close to the lesion with potencies D3, D6 and D9 close to the mass for eleven months.”

The authors observed that “after eleven months of treatment, that the clinical evolution of homeopathic V.a. in the
D3, D6, and D9 dynamizations promoted complete remission of the Mixed Apocrine Carcinoma, preventing metastases. The patient is currently (2025) in her fourth pregnancy and has achieved longevity without recurrence of the neoplasm. The in vitro articles that reported the antineoplastic action of homeopathic dynamizations of Viscum album contributed to the protocol used in this patient. Further research should be conducted on therapeutic proposals for production animals not intended for slaughter”.

The term “V.a homeopathic therapy by Injectcenter®- Brazil” refers to a homeopathic treatment utilizing the homeopathically diluted preparation of the plant Viscum album (V.a), i.e. mistletoe. It seems unclear whether the treatment was, as the authors stated, homeopathic or whether it was, in fact, anthroposophic. Viscum album is a standard therapy in anthroposophic medicine where it is not normally potentised but fermented and diluted.

A Mixed Apocrine Carcinoma is a malignant tumor that requires aggressive therapy (usually surgery) to prevent local spread, recurrence, metastases and eventual death. Without treatment, the tumor is expected to continue to grow.

For several reasons, the case report is difficult to interpret:

• It is poorly written.
• It lacks important detail; in particular, it does not state, for instance, that the mistletoe treatment was the only therapy the cow received.
• It probably confuses homeopathy with antroposophic medicine.

Therefoe, the cow’s survival could be due to:

• Conventional therapies.
• False-positive diagnosis.
• Spontaneous remission.

Of course, fans of homeopathy [including the authors of this case report] will argue that the outcome was due to the effectiveness of homeopathy. I am, however, unconvinced. What I am convinced of is this: it is unethical to treat a severely ill animal with an unproven therapy.